Swiss International Air Lines has entered a partnership with Zurich-based cleantech company Metafuels to advance sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) development. The collaboration focuses on scaling up Metafuels’ aerobrew technology, which converts green methanol into synthetic SAF compatible with existing aircraft and infrastructure.
Metafuels’ process uses biomethanol or e-methanol as feedstocks, enabling production of bio-SAF or eSAF. The company reports up to 90% lower lifecycle carbon emissions compared to conventional kerosene. Aerobrew demonstration plants include a 50 liters-per-day unit at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland, where the technology originated.
Metafuels has awarded McDermott a front-end engineering and design contract for the Turbe project, a first-of-its-kind eSAF facility at the Evos terminal in Rotterdam. Initial capacity targets 12,000 tonnes annually, with potential expansion to 120,000 tonnes. Another facility, Pizol, is planned in Denmark.
This agreement follows SWISS’s prior involvement with Synhelion, including a 2025 flight using sun-to-liquid fuel and a long-term offtake deal for at least 200 tonnes of solar jet fuel annually from 2027. SWISS and Lufthansa Group procure SAF from biogenic waste meeting ISCC or RSB standards, which reduces emissions by about 80% versus fossil fuels.